Emergency responders face situations in which they must act immediately and without hesitation to save a life, including their own. One example is vehicle rescue and extrication of accident victims. Emergency responders often have little time to get accident victims free of their vehicles. If the vehicle is on fire, time is of the essence in removing the vehicle occupants and getting both the occupants and the emergency responder away from the vehicle. In such emergency situations, there is no time to adjust tools, no time to return to an emergency responder's vehicle to obtain different tools, and no time to search for different tools to serve different tasks. In addition, adrenaline causes the emergency responder to move quickly and use his/her full force on tools with a corresponding desire by the user for the tool to perform the desired task without hesitation.
Some rescue tools provide advantages while simultaneously creating potential hazards to both the victims and the emergency responders. Examples include pneumatic and hydraulic tools used for cutting metal, prying doors open and otherwise separating objects in order to rescue trapped victims. The hydraulic tools are extremely powerful but are non-discriminating in their reach and effect. In the case of vehicle extrications, rescuers using hydraulic tools have been known to accidentally puncture the highly pressurized gas cylinders that contain gas to fill airbags. The release of gases under pressure through a small puncture opening causes the cylinder to explode and fragment. The cylinder fragments are capable of severely injuring and/or killing the accident victim and/or emergency responder working in close proximity to the accident victim.
Smaller, hand-held rescue tools have been developed to provide more discriminating control over the rescue efforts. However, these tools exhibit one or more drawbacks that make them unsuitable for true emergency work. The drawbacks include: 1) tools with multiple and/or moving (hinged) parts that can break or require time to adjust prior to use; 2) tools of insufficient strength for the task at hand; 3) tools designed for male emergency responders that are not universal for use by female emergency responders in their size, weight, or the strength required to use them; 4) tools that are not designed for the purpose of extrication or capable of fine use such as in pulling material lining away from a vehicle frame to expose the pressurized gas cylinders for avoidance with stronger, pneumatic or hydraulic rescue power tools; 5) tools with insufficient weight distribution to perform the desired task, such as insufficient weight of a striking tool to break otherwise intact car windows for accident victim extrication; 6) tools that lack multipurpose features for other emergency responder tasks, such as connecting fire hoses, turning gas valves of varying sizes/designs off to prevent fire, or turning oxygen tank valves for emergency responder oxygen inhalation systems; 7) tools that are easily damaged in emergency situations through brute force being applied by a user acting with adrenaline, or through physical damage caused by exposure to high heat, hazardous or corrosive liquids; 8) tools that cannot be easily or comfortably carried and accessed by the emergency responder as he/she moves quickly in and around the accident site; 9) tools that provide little to no finger protection to the user; 10) tools that are not designed for handling by a user wearing thick heavy gloves; and, 11) tools that are not designed to provide maximum leverage for when maximum leverage is required to save a life.
Accordingly, there is an as of yet unmet need in the art for a rescue tool for use by emergency responders that: 1) has no moving (hinged) parts or any subparts that can break or require time to adjust prior to use; 2) is constructed in a manner that renders it sufficiently strong for the task at hand; 3) is universally designed for use by both male and female responders regardless of hand size or strength; 4) is capable of fine motor controlled use such as in pulling material lining away from a vehicle frame to expose the pressurized gas cylinders to avoid puncturing same; 5) is designed to have a weight distribution that serves one or more functions such as striking and breaking otherwise intact car windows; 6) has multipurpose features beyond accident victim extrication such as use for connecting fire hoses, turning gas valves of varying sizes/designs off to prevent fire, or turning oxygen tank valves for emergency responder oxygen inhalation systems; 7) is durable and can withstand exposure to high heat, hazardous or corrosive liquids; 8) can be easily and comfortably carried and accessed by the emergency responder as he/she moves quickly in and around the accident site; 9) provides finger protection to the user; 10) is designed for ease of handling by a user wearing thick heavy gloves; and, 11) is designed to provide maximum leverage for maximum strength in emergency situations.